


old fresh wounds

by asaraver



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, OC/Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25704253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asaraver/pseuds/asaraver
Summary: “Are you okay…?”The pained look in his eyes only intensified as his body followed by completely locking up. If it weren’t for the stinging happening in his eyes, he wouldn’t have noticed the tears beginning to form. He tried his best to smile that ended up just looking pitiful as it was quick to falter. The edges of his mouth felt as if they were being weighed down by sandbags.“...It’s been hard.”
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/OC, Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character
Kudos: 9





	old fresh wounds

**Author's Note:**

> I literally do not know what other tags to put so.... you get what you get. anyway! i wanted to do a short story for my one piece oc, kelsey and luffy, so i went and did it... i'm not a serious writer by any means, so be gentle with me... I just want to get into writing more as a side hobby I can focus on while I'm not focused on art! if you're new to seeing my oc kelsey...... [this is her toyhouse](https://toyhou.se/3202514.kelsey-greeves), please check it out if you're wanting to know more about her!!!

The commotion on the Thousand Sunny was finally beginning to die down from all the ‘I missed you’s and the happy tears, the catching up and talking about this and that after reuniting from being away for those two long years. Stories of their own journeys, all the diverse people they met, the training they had gone through were being shared around but even as the excitement would die down little by little there would be another surge of conversation amongst themselves because there was just so much to talk about with everyone. Conversations repeated, sometimes far more exaggerated than the first telling; “Sure I just told Chopper about this but I remembered something I didn’t bring up!” - not that anyone cared, it was just so nice to see their friend right in front of them again. They survived that time away from each other and not only that, they were a lot stronger because of it. But even after being away for so long, being back together felt like home, just like it did before. 

Kelsey was standing in front of Usopp as they were still catching up; during her time away she had adopted her own alter-ego and there wasn’t anyone else who’d understand that situation better than Usopp. The both laughed as they compared their experiences of being able to be more confident behind a mask of their creation. Though, this wasn’t as literal for Kelsey as it was for Usopp. Since both of them were so engrossed in the conversation they were none the wiser to what was approaching Kelsey from behind; before they knew it Kelsey let out a squeak as a couple of arms wrapped around her but unlike any normal arms they kept going for a couple more loop arounds in an impossible snake hold - which of course was far from impossible for Luffy. 

“Kelsey!!!!” his voice loud, excited and as always, a comfort to hear. Just as quickly as he had wrapped his arms around her, they unwrapped and snapped back to his sides as to let Kelsey turn on her heel to properly face him. She launched her arms out to wrap them around his neck to hug him - her eyes watering just at the mere fact that she was able to hold him like this again. “Luffy….!” she smiled as she quickly buried her head between his neck and shoulder. 

“O-Oh my god… I missed you so much…” she sputtered and did her best not to become more of an emotional mess than she already was just talking to Usopp but it was hard seeing as this was the first time they’ve hugged since getting back onto the same ship. She felt Luffy’s arms wrap around her once more but not in the same snake hold as before. This time just holding her close and tight to him, pressing his head against her own. Which to her felt better than a verbal response because from how tightly he was hugging her, she knew that he missed her just as much. 

Usopp watched the two of them for a minute or two - clasping his hands together and pressing them against his face. “I should leave so the future pirate royals have a little time alone to catch up~” he sang teasingly as he ran off before being able to see their reaction - not that there was much of one besides Kelsey’s face flushing a bright red at how blunt and prompt Usopp was with leaving the two alone. It’s not like they didn’t have all the time in the world to play catch up but it was nice to be left alone for a little bit. Luffy’s arms kept tight around her as he shrugged off Usopp’s leaving, not paying too much mind to the teasing he attempted to do, too excited to talk to Kelsey since this would be their first one on one conversation since coming upon the Sunny. So, obviously he didn’t have any arguments with Usopp leaving the two alone for the moment. 

Luffy could feel the arms that were wrapped around his neck unravel, Kelsey moving so she could rest her hands on his shoulders - a large grin plastered on her face that made him grin in return. He was already mesmerized by how different she seemed - her hair, her overall appearance and the confident aura that now surrounded her entire being… He felt comforted that even with all the other factors of her appearance had changed, the smile she gave him was the same as it was. 

His eyes were already lit up but it was like they were able to shine more as he began pointing out everything he was seeing. “Your hair is so long now!!” he observed before quickly starting to play with the long locks of hair that framed the sides of her face - he was fascinated by just how long it had gotten, compared to it being barely past the top of her ears, it was so different… Time sure passed, huh? His eyes wandered more before happening upon the tattooed jolly roger on the upper part of her left arm, immediately running his hand along it and rubbing at it as if to try and rub it off, convinced it was just the work of a marker or perhaps a paint brush just like he used for all the markings he made on himself in the past. 

“A-And a tattoo!!!? W-Whoa….!!!” he gasped loudly before it turned into a giggle as he came to the realization that it was **his** jolly roger now permanently drawn onto her skin. Kelsey’s face quickly flushing again as Luffy continued to giggle and prod at the tattoo a bit more. “That’s so cool~” he cooed happily. 

“Y-Yeah… It just felt right… You know?” her gaze shifted to avoid eye contact with him as she explained, flustered that he liked it as much as he did and happy with the reaction he had upon seeing it. It was an impulse decision at the time, so she didn’t even consider the reaction Luffy might have had when they finally met back up - not that she thought he would react badly, just unsure how excited he would’ve been. She tightened her grip on his shoulders as she forced herself to make eye contact with him once again, giving him a soft smile. 

“It was a nice reminder of what I had waiting for me these past few years.” 

The pause was comfortable and warm as Luffy’s giggles stopped, his expression softening up while his arms quickly tightened back up around her at her words. Their eyes locked as the silence lasted for a little while longer before Kelsey’s own giggling started to bubble out - catching Luffy off guard and loosening up his grip on her to look at her in confusion with movements that matched. “Eh? What’d ya giggling about?” he asked as she was quick to place her hands on his cheeks, pinching them playfully. 

“You look the exact same!!” her giggling ramped up to a full blown laugh. Which was always such a nice sight, she looked absolutely adorable when she laughed this hard. It was infectious, making him laugh along with her before sticking his tongue out at her like he was a small child being teased by other children. “Aww, c’mon, I do not!!”

“I’m taller now!! See!?” he took a step back to show off that he did indeed grow just a little taller during his time away. It was a small thing that Kelsey wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t point it out to her… Obviously she wasn’t going to burst his bubble with that, so instead she happily nodded. “You did!”

She took this little moment to look over the rest of him and it really did seem like he didn’t change at all. His face still had its youthful look, his eyes still big and filled with glee, his messy hair still swept the same way from two years ago. Even his outfit was almost basically the same. It was like that time never passed for him. The real difference was how much stronger he felt and the shirt did no favors at all as it hid the muscles away - the feeling of his arms around her was the only clue she got at the idea of how strong he was now. 

Continuing on with looking him over, his open shirt showing off his more defined chest, which gave her a better idea of how much training he went through. She began eyeing the large scar that now took up the entirety of his chest, her smile involuntarily starting to fade as she could vividly remember those articles in the newspaper that led up to the crew delaying their meeting. The longer her gaze lingered the more she noticed another silence overcoming them, he was no longer laughing or chuckling - this time the silence was cold and overwhelming. With each millisecond that ticked away, the more uncomfortable it was. It wasn’t in Luffy’s character not to say something, she quickly brought her eyes back up to his.

They had a pained look that made Kelsey’s chest constrict. 

She couldn’t see the thoughts inside his head that were racing - everything coming rushing back just like that, seeing Kelsey looking at his new scar bringing up all those painful memories connected to it. Akainu. Ace. The blood. The black out… Everything was a blur but continued to flood back as if it were trying to break down the mental dam in his head. 

It all came to a halt as he felt Kelsey’s hand back on his cheek, snapping him out of the spiral he was going down. Her expression was soft, as it always was but now mixed with so much concern and compassion. 

“Are you okay…?” 

The pained look in his eyes only intensified as his body followed by completely locking up. If it weren’t for the stinging happening in his eyes, he wouldn’t have noticed the tears beginning to form. He tried his best to smile that ended up just looking pitiful as it was quick to falter. The edges of his mouth felt as if they were being weighed down by sandbags. 

“...It’s been hard.” 

His two years were filled with vigorous training, he didn’t have the time to focus on his emotions or even to process what had happened. Sure, he had his small confrontation with Jinbei but… That was only just the start of it. He made his one and only worry to become stronger, see his crew and protect them. Actually be able to this time, be strong enough to never let what happened at the Sabaody Archipelago happen again in their lifetime. He’d be sure of that. 

So, being asked so straightforwardly like this was strange.. And if it was anyone else asking the question he probably would’ve been completely oblivious to the deeper curiosity and concern of that question, brushing it off and just telling them he was super happy about being back with his crew - it was all he wanted during that time, all he focused on and worked towards. 

But this was Kelsey. She probably didn’t realize just how easy it was to open up to her. It was something he himself was starting to realize when they began growing closer - first acquaintances, to friends then eventually to lovers… He couldn’t have seen something like this happening between him and anyone else. He was close to the others but with Kelsey it was just different. He never hid his emotions but when around Kelsey it felt even easier to let his emotions slip from his mouth, whether they were happy, angry, sad.. He would immediately share them with Kelsey. 

The tears began gliding down his cheeks, slow at first before quickly becoming unstoppable rivers that ran down his face that eventually fell from his chin onto the deck below, some even just going along his chin and running down his neck. Kelsey’s hand remained on his cheek despite this and most likely the reason why that side of his face and neck weren’t getting as wet. 

His voice quaked and shook as he sniffed, his nose beginning to drip. 

“It’s been really hard.”

Kelsey only nodded in return. 

“I bet it has.” She lowered her voice to a tone that was just as soft as her expression. Luffy sniffled again before closing his eyes tightly and opening them back up to try and blink away the tears but even as he did so they were only replaced with brand new ones. 

“Ace is gone.” his own voice softened. “He’s… He’s really gone.” he choked out, pressing his face against Kelsey’s hand as he slowly lowered his head to bury it into Kelsey’s shoulder. In all honesty he wasn’t sure if he was willingly doing it all himself or if he was getting help from Kelsey to guide him to it. Either way, it felt like the best place to be right now - burying his face deeper into her shirt. Chest and back starting to heave from his breathing, allowing himself to cry a bit more freely into the shoulder that was offered to him. Kelsey wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, pressing her face into his hair as she held him close and let him cry. Whispering to him gently, “I know…”

She paused for a moment. It was getting difficult to keep herself from crying just listening to Luffy’s. Already feeling the crack in her voice that was bound to be there if she spoke. 

“I wish I was there for you…” she eventually managed out and of course, it was accompanied with a noticeable crack. She kept herself from saying too much more, not knowing if that was something he would want right now and to keep herself from overstepping if it was something he didn’t. She took the cautious path of just being quiet and holding him, the occasional back rub and the gentle squeeze. 

The two of them stood there in silence, aside from the sniffling and sobbing coming from the captain, for how long she wasn’t sure - it felt as if time completely stopped while they stood there. Even the ship seemed much quieter than it probably should have been. Surely the other crewmates could hear what was going on? Kelsey continued to rub his back as she tried her best to glance around to see if anyone else had noticed. Just outside of her peripheral vision she could see Usopp, Nami and Zoro looking over at the two of them. She gave them a soft look towards them that was quickly returned. This exchange gave her an idea - doing her best, she signaled to the three of them to get the rest of the crew out and over to them without letting Luffy in on what was happening. 

She assumed Usopp and Nami got what she was trying to say as they both gave her a thumbs up but Zoro stood there with more of a confused and questioning expression. Usopp and Nami started to chastise him for not catching on as quickly before they dragged him off to gather the others. Kelsey mentally shook her head in amusement as she turned her attention back to Luffy who was beginning to slowly calm down and regain his composure. 

“N-Ngh…” he sniffled quietly as he brought his head back up, looking down at Kelsey’s shoulder that now had a giant wet spot where his face had buried itself. “S-Sorry…” he muttered as he sniffled again, bringing a hand up to wipe away the snot from his nose. She couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle before moving her hand back onto his cheek to help lift his head up a bit more to look her in the eyes. “It’s fine… How are you feeling…?” she asked softly as Luffy let out another choked out sob. 

“Better…. Not great but… Better…” he admitted, bringing up a hand to hold onto the hand resting on his cheek, letting out a shaky sigh he slowly grew quiet and just stared - seemingly right through Kelsey and at nothing in particular. She waited patiently in this new silence, like the kind of silence you would get going outside after a heavy rainstorm to inspect the damage that was done, it wasn’t uncomfortable, just odd. Another moment or two of this he eventually locked eyes with her again. “Thank you…” he said softly, accompanied with a smile that was just as soft, although still carrying around that small sign of pain. “I really needed that, I think…” he couldn’t help but chuckle. He could remember those rare quiet nights that gave him too much time to think that ended up just like this. But this time he had someone there, holding onto him and giving him gentle touches to remind him that they were still there, it felt so much better. Kelsey smiled and nodded, rubbing her thumb along his cheek, wiping away some of the remaining tears that hadn’t dried up quite yet. 

“...I’m really happy to be back with you guys…” Luffy continued with his soft tone. “Ya know… Kinda like your tattoo… You guys were a nice reminder of what was waiting for me….. And… Ace…” he tried his best not to choke on his words. “He may be gone… I may not have been able to protect him… And it may be my fault why he’s no longer here… But I’ve still got you guys to protect and I’m going to keep my word. I’m stronger now and I’m going to prove that I can.” his voice became more hardened and firm as he continued. Although, it still had that crack that indicated that he was just crying. 

Kelsey hesitated for just a moment before speaking. “Luffy… It’s not your fault he’s gone.. Ace… He protected you like you would have done for him.. And for all of us. You’re not the only one who needs to do the protecting… We’re your crew and you know we’ll protect you just as hard as you’d protect us.” Luffy remained quiet for a bit, looking as if he was about to shoot out a rebuttal but was stopped at the sound of thundering footsteps. 

“Eh?” He was able to manage out before he was dog piled and pulled into a hug with the rest of the crew, Kelsey letting out a squawk from being pressed further into Luffy thanks to everyone jumping into the hug. This was her idea but perhaps she should’ve thought it out a little more. “H-H-Hey!!!” Luffy shouted out but was already bursting into laughter and stretching his arms out to wrap them around everyone to contain them all in one spot. 

“We love you, Captain!!!” They all shouted in unison; Franky, Brook, Chopper, Usopp and Nami all freely crying as they hugged each other - Robin allowing herself to be smooshed among them as she smiled cheerfully as Zoro and Sanji were also smiling but more in a way to try and keep their cool guy attitudes, despite that it was clear they were both happy and genuine with the moment. 

Luffy couldn’t help himself but start crying all over again, this time with one of the biggest grins he’s ever grinned, holding them all close to him. 

“I-I love you all so much….!”


End file.
